Isn't that a kind of mushroom?

Portobello

Leaving for the weekend of W's we decided to enjoy London's momentary glimpse of summer. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, with blue, skies (only a few wispy clouds on the horizon), and about 25 degrees. Oh yeah baby, didn't even take a rain jacket as we headed out and around the Notting Hill Corner to check out the Portobello markets.

A "few" other people had similar ideas. Interestingly, the vibe is quite different to a crowded Italian street. The Londoners (and by extension) the tourists walking were all extraordinarily polite so although it was VERY crowded, it didn't feel nearly as tight or bustled as, say, the markets in Florence.

Note what happens when someone walks through your panorama pic.

There's confidence - EVERY kind?

The markets are an eclectic mix of weird and old and weirder and older. And that's just the vendors. You could buy brass horns or old wooden lawn bowls or or compass surveying binoculars - as if anyone would buy them. Drew did. Loved and loves them.

The binoculars, bell store

Compass surveying map reading binoculars

Getting the "how to use" your new binoculars tutorial

Ree checking out Drew's latest souvenir

Need an old camera?

Old lawn bowls

And which colour gas mask for you sir?

Lucky Drew found a special leather bound notebook in Florence

Nice Kit(ty) bag

For a printing press

The food choices were endless and delicious. We ate at an Artisan Bakery (whatever one of them is) which was too full to move in much but had delicious andwiches as below.

Artisan bakery sandwiches

The food stalls also had some terrific choices - some of which were neat themes on standard market fare.

A few of the food stall choices

Finally, a few buskers and then off to Watford

The rare but interesting fire tuba

Headless buskers

Sweet cubscouts at the subway station

Enough